Sperm counts have been falling around the world for the last several decades. In some regions, such as Europe and North America, the counts are down as much as 60 percent. What could account for this dramatic drop?

Compounds in many ubiquitous products, such as the BPA found in hard clear plastic and the linings of cans, have been identified as endocrine disruptors. They interfere with the normal activity of human hormones. Could such endocrine disruptors be contributing to declining sperm counts and quality? How will that affect fertility?

Endocrine disruptors such as BPA also have other important effects on health and behavior. For instance, BPA can interfere with the normal activity of the hormone insulin. The result can be metabolic disruption and obesity. Other common compounds, such as those found in flame retardants, can disrupt thyroid hormones.

Tune in to learn whether you should avoid such compounds and how you might do so. Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) also has information on how to minimize your exposure to endocrine disruptors.

Andrea C. Gore, PhD, is a professor of pharmacology who holds the Vacek Chair of Pharmacology at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Gore is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Endocrinology. https://academic.oup.com/endo

The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.

Buy the CD

Download the mp3